1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to transport vehicles, and more particularly pertains to a delivery truck which is extremely versatile as to its load carrying capabilities. In greater detail, the present invention relates to a transportation vehicle having the capability of converting its cargo bays from a design suitable for the transportion of a first type of cargo to an arrangement suitable for the transportation of a second type of cargo.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Heretofore many delivery routes have been serviced by trucks which are not entirely suitable for the type of cargo being conveyed, or which do not have the versatility to enable the cargo bays thereof to be adapted to several different types of merchandise. The transportation requirements for delivery runs for beverage bottles, beer kegs, or for full service vending routes or low volume country routes have been served by either small vans or conventional route trucks. In general these vehicles do not offer the versatility which is desirable for a delivery truck serving these types of accounts.
The soft drink industry in particular is a case in point in which the transportation of cases of packaged or crated goods such as soft drinks necessitates the requirements of maintaining different types of trucks which are capable of carrying different types of bulky and heavy loads. It would be desirable to provide a simplified truck body design and frame structure which enables the conveyance of different types of bulk goods through the intermediary of a vehicle providing a light and simple structural frame design. Furthermore, the design should be of a nature to offer a maximum amount of versatility for the conversion of the truck to different types of cargo-carrying arrangements for different types of merchandise, with the special requirements of each different type of cargo being provided for in the design.
Ratliff U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,569 discloses a transportation trailer having an integrally joined frame wherein loads transported by the vehicle are supported primarily by an upper frame structure running longitudinally along its roof. A trailer of the type disclosed by this patent is adapted to be coupled to a tractor or truck cab during transportation of merchandise. Although the structural design of the disclosed vehicle is similar in nature in some respects to that of the present invention, the trailer type of vehicle disclosed therein is not at all suitable to fill the transportation requirements served by a vehicle of the type provided by present invention.
Ratliff U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,764 is also of interest in disclosing a transport truck suitable for the delivery of various types of commercial goods wherein the vehicle has overhead doors positioned along each side thereof, with each overhead door providing access to a cargo bay. More particularly, this patented arrangement provides a unique locking system for the bay doors wherein operatively interconnected levers are manually manipulated to fully close and lock all of the doors along one side of the vehicle. Although the locking arrangement disclosed by this patent is similar in nature to that utilized by the present invention, the transport vehicle of the present invention provides a versatile design suitable for the delivery of different types of cargo which is not disclosed or suggested by this patent.